FANTASY

Priced to Move

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Anderson won't be cheap for long.

So you're attempting to claw your way back into contention. Sure, you could pay full-market price for one of the elite players, but where's the value in that? Sometimes you're better off targeting the underappreciated and underperforming. To help you out, we asked six of our experts to highlight one stretch-drive sleeper, with each guru assigned a different ownership range in ESPN.com leagues: 40-50%, 25-39%, 10-24%, 5-9%, 0.1-4.9% and unowned. What are you waiting for? Go get 'em.

PAUL KONERKO CWS 1B (46.9% owned)
He's not bad, just unlucky. Heading into August, Konerko's Batting Average on Balls in Play was hovering around .240, compared with the MLB average of about .300. As his BABIP evens out (as it tends to do over time) his numbers will spike.-CHRISTOPHER HARRIS

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA LAD SS/3B/1B (29.0%)
Can't believe I'm writing this, but why not Nomar? He's regained his shortstop eligibility, and while he's lost his power, he hits for average thanks to his insane plate discipline and contact rate. -ERIC KARABELL

GARRET ANDERSON LAA OF (22.6%)
Fantasy folks don't like Anderson. Maybe it's because he's named Garret, which should be the name of your pharmacist, not your OF. But in the past three years combined, he's hit for more HRs and RBIs and a higher BA after the break than before. -MATTHEW BERRY

EMIL BROWN OAK OF (9%)
His .305 post-July BA since 2006 aside, Brown screams to be selected. His name anagrams into "I won MLBer," so go out on that "limb, owner." Brown is a better option than "I sent a bouncy turkey" (Yuniesky Betancourt), right? -AJ MASS

JEFF CLEMENT SEA C (0.4%)
Catchers with 30-homer power are a rare commodity, and this überprospect will get a good amount of PT down the stretch to show his pop. Yeah, he was under the Mendoza line through his first 120 career at-bats, but he did hit .337 in 172 Triple-A ABs. -JASON GREY

JED LOWRIE BOS 2B/SS/3B (0%)
With the slumping Julio Lugo on the DL with a torn quad, Lowrie should get somewhat regular ABs. He won't run or hit for much power, but he's a .287 career minor league hitter, and, as a bonus, he has threeway eligibility. -TRISTAN COCKCROFT

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HURTS SO GOOD

With the NFL back in buisiness, so too is ESPN.com injury expert Stephania Bell. Here's her latest intel on four key players who are on the mend at training camp.

DOLPHINS RB RONNIE BROWN
He says his recovery from November ACL surgery has gone well and that he's ready for camp. Maybe so, but data trends indicate that it typically takes two years for a running back to return to form after ACL surgery. Tread carefully.

COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING
Don't freak. On July 14, Manning underwent surgery on his left knee to address an infected bursa sac. Once the wound heals and the infection clears, he'll be ready to roll. Manning dealt with a similar condition in his right knee during his senior season at Tennessee, and he played in the 1998 Orange Bowl a month later. He's yet to miss a start in his 10 NFL seasons; expect that streak to continue.

CHARGERS QB PHILIP RIVERS
It was just six months ago that
Rivers tore his ACL in the AFC divisional playoffs, yet the QB says now there are times when he can't tell which knee was injured (for the record, it was his right). According to coach Norv Turner, Rivers' extra time in the weight room has increased his upperbody strength. Between his rehab and his conditioning, Rivers may be the rare guy whose numbers spike after ACL reconstruction.

COLTS WR MARVIN HARRISON
Just in time for camp, the wide receiver was cleared to practice by team doctors. After missing 11 games last season because of inflammation in his left knee, and after having off-season arthroscopic surgery on his right, you have reason to be skeptical about his durability. But don't count Harrison out. The guy is tenacious.

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